


On Fathers

by bitchslaplouis



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: F/M, Father Figures, Father-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23957419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitchslaplouis/pseuds/bitchslaplouis
Summary: After the events of Winter, the world is slowly calming, and the crew of Rampion is looking to the future. Cress finds herself contemplating who her father was, as a man, and what that means to her. Kai and Cinder contemplate their future.
Relationships: Crescent Moon "Cress" Darnel & Carswell Thorne, Crescent Moon "Cress" Darnel/Carswell Thorne, Jacin Clay/Winter Hayle-Blackburn, Kai & Linh Cinder, Kai/Linh Cinder
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. On the Rampion

“Cinder?” Cress called, sticking her head into the engine room. There was faint clanking coming from the back corner so she slipped through the crowded mechanics and finally saw Cinder, kneeling next to a loud device. “Cinder, there you are.”

“Oh, hey, Cress,” Cinder said, brushing her hair back from her face. Her plain white shirt was covered in oil stains and her cluttered toolbox was open next to her. “The compressor was past due for a tune up. We need to shop for parts at our next stop.”

“Parts?” Cress asked, casting a discerning eye at the device. She knew a little bit about mechanics, Cinder was teaching her in her spare time, but she didn’t have a clue what was going on with the compressor.

“Nothing urgent,” Cinder promised, noting the furrow of anxiety on Cress’s face. “I’d just like to replace these valves before they wear out too much more.” Cinder replaced the panel she’d removed and began putting her tools away. “Anyway, what’s going on?”

“The captain,” Cress said, and Cinder rolled her eyes. It was sweet, almost obnoxiously so, that Cress still called Thorne ‘the captain’. “He says that there’s a comm coming through from the Commonwealth.” Cinder blinked away the warnings about elevated heart rate, grateful yet again that she couldn’t blush.

She stood, wishing that she had been able to keep her shirt clean, before heading with Cress to the cockpit, where Thorne was laughing with Kai about something. Her heart lurched in her chest at Kai’s image, his messy hair hanging over his forehead and his dark eyes twinkling with mirth. To be fair, when their eyes met, Kai began to blush and he smiled ruefully.

“Hey,” he said lamely.

“Maybe we should go inventory the food pantry,” Cress said, taking Thorne’s hand and yanking him out of the room.

“She’s gotten really good about social cues,” Cinder said, smiling and taking Thorne’s seat. “You should have seen her last week at this dinner we had.”

“Dinner?” Kai asked, smiling and setting his chin in his hand.

“One of the letumosis clinics on the west coast of America closed and they had a celebratory dinner. Cress was wowing all of the politicians with her knowledge of history and American culture. I think she knows more about it than Thorne does.” Cinder reminsciesed, smiling at the memory. The small, timid girl, clutching at her own hair for safety in her satellite was long gone. And Thorne was a better man every day.

“So you’re still on the west coast?” Kai asked.

“We’ve got one delivery left on this trip. And then…”

“And then?” Cinder knew she would be blushing if she could.

“Thorne and Cress are going back to Luna to pick up the next shipment and stay with Winter for a couple days,” she said.

“Thorne and Cress are?” Kai asked, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah, Winter’s been asking around and found a couple of doctors that knew Dr. Erland when he was up there. Cress wants to meet them, learn what she can about her dad. I think she’s finally ready to deal with him, as a father.” Cinder and Cress had spent many hours debating it; neither of them thought they would ever know their fathers. Cress had ended up wanting to give Dr. Erland a chance, even with what she already knew about him.

“Wow, that’s a big step for her.” Kai said, his eyebrows shooting up. A chunk of his hair fell into his eyes and he impatiently brushed it back. His hair was longer than usual, like he hadn’t had it cut in some time. He looked stressed, too; the bags under his eyes were dark and he seemed tired.

“Yeah, it is. And I was thinking, maybe on their way to Luna, they could make a pit stop in the Commonwealth.” Her eyes sparkled and Kai felt his heart jump in his chest. This was what he’d been hoping for. When Cinder dissolved the Lunar monarchy and helped create a democracy, he had hardly gotten to see her for months. Then she accepted Thorne’s offer of a spot on the Rampion. He had been waiting, outwardly patient, for months, always watching for the day when she would choose to accept his offer: to move to New Beijing palace and start a life, together. She could work as a mechanic for the palace if she wanted, or even just be an ambassador for Luna. Whatever she wanted. He just wanted her close.

“Just a pit stop?” Kai asked, trying to slow his thundering pulse.

“For them. I was thinking, for me, it might be more permanent.” Cinder was nervous and she tried to hide it. It was no secret that Kai wanted her to move to New Beijing but she was suddenly scared that now that she was ready, he might have changed his mind. But to her relief, his face split into a wide smile and he laughed, a relieved sound.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, grinning at her. “Torin was beginning to get worried that the room we have ready for you would never get used.”

“Oh, Torin was worried?” Cinder asked, teasing.

“You should have seen him.” Kai smiled at Cinder, his heart near to bursting with happiness. “When should we expect you?”

“Probably the beginning of next week.” They sat there for a moment, just smiling at each other. Then a sudden thought hit Cinder. “Wait, you have a room ready for me?” Kai blushed lightly, looking abashed.

“Just something we set up for you. It’s in the wing for visiting dignitaries. I would have shown you on your last visit, but you just stayed with me, so I didn’t bring it up.” He scratched at the side of his head, smiling ruefully. Cinder’s heart skipped a beat; he was so thoughtful. “But now that you’re coming to stay, it might be nice to have your own space.”

“I can’t wait to see you,” she said, smiling so hard it hurt her face. He smiled back, and all the signs of exhaustion disappeared, if only for the moment.

“Oh, Emperor Kai, I love you so much, mwah mwah mwah,” Thorne said, pretending to swoon against the door frame.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” Kai said, his face sympathetic, “I’m afraid I can’t return the sentiment. My heart is spoken for.”

“Scorned! Will I ever recover!”

“There you are,” Cress said, sliding in behind him. “You said you were just going to the bathroom!”

“I did go to the bathroom.”

“And then came in to interrupt Kai and Cinder,” Cress scolded him. But Thorne threw her one of his winning smiles and she cracked, smiling back at him. “How are things in the Commonwealth, Emperor?”

“Cress, please.” Kai didn’t have Thorne’s fondness for titles and felt weird when his friends insisted on using his. Little did he know that that was precisely why Cress and Scarlet kept using it. “Things are good. New letumosis cases shrink daily and there’s little resistance to the changes in cyborg rights. Of course, every time someone speaks out against them, there’s a show of support from the merchants. Chang Sunto, in particular, is a huge advocate of Cinder’s.”

“Who is Chang Sunto?” Thorne asked. Cress knew; she had seen the news articles about his miraculous recovery back before the world exploded, when she was just a girl in a satellite trying to save a prince.

“Does he know that Cinder gave him the antidote?” Cress asked. Cinder blinked rapidly, trying not to focus on why Sunto had gotten the antidote.

“Yes, we told him after we realized it ourselves. He was under scrutiny when Cinder was fugitive but after she turned out to be, you know, Selene, he got a lot of good attention. And he’s using it to be an advocate for cyborgs across the Commonwealth.” Cinder grunted, momentarily thrown off guard. He was such a young boy, and his mother had been so vehemently against her back before all of this. She was continually surprised by people.

“And how are you doing?” Cress smiled at Kai and Thorne smiled at her. He loved her, so much, especially when she showed her big heart.

“I’m fine. Busy.” Cinder wondered, though; he looked worn out. But whatever was going on, he didn’t share. Only a week until she saw him. “Unfortunately, I’ve got another meeting. Always things to do here.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Cinder promised. They smiled at each other, mushily, Kai getting lost in Cinder’s eyes. He was glad she never used her gift to change her appearance. He loved her just the way she was.

“Well the cockpit has officially reached its capacity for gushy love, so we’ll have to sign off.” Thorne said, knowing that if he didn’t stop them, they’d just keep staring at each other for ages. Stars above, they were obnoxious sometimes.

“Until next time, Captain,” Kai said, snapping him a salute. Thorne bowed in response and the holograph node clicked off.

“So, are we dropping you off on our way to Luna?” Thorne asked, sliding into the captain’s chair.

“Yes.” A smile danced around the corner of her lips.

“Man, finding a mechanic as cheap as you is going to be impossible,” Thorne complained.

“You only think I’m cheap.” Cinder shot back. “I haven’t sent you my bill yet.”

“So, Cress, are you excited to learn about your dad?” Thorne asked. Cress sat on the arm of his chair, looking thoughtfully out at the stars.

“I’m not sure,” she said slowly. “I mean, I know he wanted me. Even though I’m a shell. But I’m not okay with the cyborg draft, or his buying of shells in Africa.” Cinder and Thorne waited, Thorne taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “I guess only time will tell,” she finally said, her brow furrowed in thought.


	2. In Artemisia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cress meets with a few of her father's colleagues to learn more about who he really was.

Winter and Jacin were standing together at the end of the hallway, just past the door to the menagerie. Her head was tipped back, curls spilling down her back, eyes bright with mischief. Jacin’s face was open and smiling, his emotions no longer hidden behind a wall, his hand resting on her shoulder and brushing back the tightly wound coils of her hair. As Kinney approached, Winter said something that made Jacin throw his head back and laugh. Kinney had never heard Jacin laugh before; it was a strange sound, one that made Kinney pause and wonder if he was interrupting something. Before he could discreetly back away though, Winter spotted him.

“Sir Kinney! What brings you to this end of the palace?” She asked, her smile like the sun breaking through clouds on a cold day. Just being near that smile warms you up, right through to your toes. Jacin and Kinney nodded at each other and Kinney gave a short bow to Winter, a habit no one had been able to break him of.

“I was passing through the hangar and saw that the Rampion was docking. I thought you might like to know.” He paused, unsure. He was technically off duty; his shift had ended an hour ago. But he still felt a sense of duty toward the no-longer princess.

“Wonderful,” Winter said, clapping her hands together. “Come, Jacin, let’s go greet our friends. Thank you, Sir Kinney.”

“My pleasure.” Kinney paused again and then said in a shy voice, so uncharacteristic of him, “Pass along my greetings to Cress, Thorne, and Iko, if she is with them.” Winter’s eyes sparkled but she gave him a conspirator’s smile.

“Of course. Do you wish to come with us?” she asked.

“No, no. I should go. Home, that is.”

“If you insist.” She smiled at him again before pulling Jacin with her down the hall. It was a habit she had picked up since the end of the war; Jacin tended to walk a step behind her unless she pulled him up to her speed.

“What’s the rush?” he grumbled, knocking her with his shoulder. She knocked him back, a skip in her step. The walls of the palace had lost their menace, the halls no longer cloying with the scent of blood. Because she and Jacin had moved into the house that her parents had lived in before Levana, she rarely had time in the palace anymore; when she wasn’t on Earth, ambassadoring, she spent most of her time among the people, only visiting the seat of government for the menagerie.

“We haven’t seen our friends in months!” Winter said.

“Is Thorne really our friend though?” Jacin asked, only sounding like he was semi-joking.

“Be nice.”

“I’m very nice, Winter. You know that.” Jacin slung his arm around her waist, reveling in the ease with which he could touch her now. They weren’t the princess and her guard anymore. They were just Winter and Jacin. Two people who loved each other.

Cress and Thorne were waiting outside the hangar, chatting with one of the representatives. Seeing Winter and Jacin, she left, tossing Cress a friendly wave. Cress had done a lot for the other shells, just by being herself, a proud, capable, superhero shell. Although most Lunars had yet to fully trust and respect shells, acceptance was growing by leaps and bounds.

Winter bounded forward, hugging Cress and Thorne both. Thorne patted her on the head, a kind, almost big brotherly gesture. Jacin gave Cress a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“How was the landing?” Jacin asked, ruffling Cress’ hair.

“Bumpy,” Cress answered, grinning at Thorne.

“I am unappreciated in my time,” he said, looking miffed.

“How’s everything here on Luna?” Cress asked. Winter took her arm, linking the two of them as they began walking down the hall, back toward the menagerie.

“The representatives argue constantly and the people are always trying to get in to discuss things with them. The minister is beset by requests and appointments and the general assembly is raucous.” Winter said, guiding the group toward a side exit. Winter didn’t like to leave through the main gates; they were too fraught with memory for her. She might not suffer from Lunar sickness anymore, but she didn’t want to take the risk of ordinary insanity either.

“Sounds like a well functioning democracy to me,” Thorne commented, elbowing Jacin, who rolled his eyes at him.

“That’s what I think, too,” Winter said, smiling over her shoulder at the boys. They passed out onto the street, where many people they glided past bowed their heads to Winter or murmured, “Princess.” Winter had dropped the Blackburn name, only too happy to reclaim her father’s name, but that hadn’t stopped many of the people, especially the people that had been employed by the palace, from addressing her as such. Jacin hoped that she wouldn’t be opposed to another name change.

“So, where are we meeting these friends of Dr. Erland’s?” Thorne asked, unfamiliar with the streets of the capital and with no idea of where Winter was taking them.

“Dr. Darnell, here,” Winter reminded him. “We’re going to a small cafe where two of his old coworkers are waiting for us.” The cafe was only a bit farther and when they arrived, they found it to be deserted but for two elderly people in the back corner. One was a woman with deep silver hair swept up into a neat bun on the crown of her head and the other was a man whose thick full hair was merely a glamour; Cress could see his bald, liver spotted head. She wondered again, for what felt like the millionth time, if this really was a good idea.

The man rose, seeing them, and bowed to Winter, then nodded his head at the rest of them. The woman stayed in her seat but smiled a kind, grandmotherly smile at them.

“Princess,” the man said, smiling at Winter. Cress couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he opened his mouth and showed at least three rotten teeth.

“What are you staring at?” Thorne asked, his lips on Cress’ ear. She shivered and turned to lean in close to him.

“His teeth are rotted,” she whispered back, assuming, rightfully so, that the man’s glamour covered that too. Thorne looked surprised and stared at the man as well, who noticed and became uncomfortable.

“Hello, Crescent Moon,” the woman said, gesturing to the seat across from her. “I am Letania and this is my colleague, Root.”

“Please, call me Cress,” she said, taking her seat. Winter and Jacin sat next to her and Thorne pulled a chair from a nearby table, turning and stradling it.

“So you used to work with Dr. Er-uh, Darnell?” Thorne asked, still eyeing the man critically, willing himself to see what Cress saw. It was futile, but Thorne couldn’t help but try.

“I was with him on the team that found what could be accomplished with shell blood,” Root bragged. Letania elbowed him, looking alarmed, and his expression turned stricken.

“We, of course, did not know what we were working with. Just researched an amazing compound.” Cress felt sick to her stomach and wondered if her father had also thought of it that way. Her blood, an amazing compound.

“I was working with him when you were born, Cress,” Letania said, steering the conversation away from ungifted blood. Cress was relieved for the change. “He was incredibly devoted to you, talking about you nonstop, his gift from the stars.”

“Really?” Cress asked. She tried to reconcile the man coming at her with a syringe, who had bought her for her shell blood, with this image of a doting father.

“Oh yes. He spoke of you as his little miracle. You know, you look remarkably like him.” She smiled again. She understood why Winter had set up this meeting better than Root did. Winter felt her friend needed a positive connection to family and Letania was only too happy to provide that for her.

They talked long into the growing evening, Root finally speaking up about other projects that Dr. Darnell had worked on, research that led to vaccines and even found a positive way to spin the work he had done to help with the wolf soldiers. Letania told her about how devastated he had been when Sybil Mira had come for Cress; he had sworn that he didn’t care that his daughter was a shell, he wanted her anyway.

Cress began to understand her father a little bit better. She saw him as a man devoted to scientific discovery, willing to do whatever it took to learn more, to take the next great step forward, but also a man who loved his child even when her own mother willfully gave her away to be killed. Letania and Root both avoided the subject of her mother; Cress wondered if she was even still alive and decided she didn’t want to know. Before too much longer, though, they had to go; Root said his wife was waiting on him and Letania had to get to work.

“If it’s not too much for me to say... “ Letania said, standing at the door and looking back at the group, “I believe Sage would be very proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”

“Thank you, Letania,” Cress said. She nodded once and left. Thorne returned his chair back to the other table and sank into the seat Letania had vacated. Cress stared at the wall for a while and Winter, Jacin, and Thorne waited, unsure of how she was feeling at the deluge of information she’d been given.

“Cinder and I talked earlier today,” Winter finally said, worrying that Cress’ silence was too much. “And she wanted me to remind you what she and Kai knew about Dr. Darnell.”

“What was that, again?” Cress asked, slipping her hand into Thorne’s.

“That he worked tirelessly to try to find a cure to the disease he unwittingly helped create. Despite the cyborg draft being a farce to try to find Selene, he really was trying to cure letumosis. And when he learned that shell blood was the key, he did do everything he could to try to rebuild that cure, despite being a wanted fugitive for helping Cinder.” Winter knew that it couldn’t fix much, especially since reminding her of the good undoubtedly also reminded her of the bad, but she hoped Cress would look on the bright side.

“And, if he hadn’t given Cinder her fancy hand, she wouldn’t have been able to escape with me,” Thorne reminded her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She laughed lightly, remembering how Carswell Thorne had become a part of her world with that prison break.

“Let’s head home,” Jacin said, standing with his hand on Winter’s shoulder.

“I can cook dinner,” Winter said brightly, smiling up at Jacin, who shook his head, smiling at her. Of the two of them, Jacin was the better cook, and both of them knew it.  
They exited the cafe together, Winter’s hand tucked into the crook of Jacin’s arm and Thorne’s arm slung around Cress’s shoulders.

“Are you feeling any better about him?” Thorne asked, slowing his pace so Cress’s short legs didn’t have to work so hard to keep up with him. It was a habit he’d learned when he was blind and he never dropped it.

“I’m not sure.” She said slowly. “He obviously was a pretty thoughtless scientist. The ends justifying the means for him. But he also really seemed to care about me.”

“It’s okay to have mixed feelings,” he said, nodding his head. Ahead of them, Jacin’s head was bent down to Winter’s, and they laughed together as they ambled along. “I’ve still got mixed feelings about my dad and he didn’t, you know, give me up to be killed.” Cress laughed a little at that.

It wasn’t a far walk from the cafe to the Hayle residence; in minutes, they were crowded into the living room, which was cozy and covered in tapestries and rugs, many of which Winter’s mother had made. When her old friends found out that Winter wanted to move into her mother’s home, they came together and gifted her with as many mementos of her that they could find. Winter insisted on paying them, they insisted she not, and it was settled when Winter gifted them embroidery in the place of her mother’s work.

“The guest room is the second door,” Winter said, gesturing down the short hall. “And the bathroom is on the left.” Winter had paid someone to bring Thorne and Cress’s bags from the Rampion to her home.

“My dad left a message, saying he wanted to talk to me as soon as possible,” Jacin said, checking the communicator he had left at home. He didn’t like carrying it; it was much easier to stay by Winter’s side when there was no chance for someone to call him away.

“Give him a call,” Winter said, leaning up on her toes to kiss Jacin softly. He held her to him for a moment, lengthening the kiss and letting it become more passionate. She pulled back and smiled at him, patting him on the cheek. “I’ll get dinner started. You two can get settled.”

Jacin went to find out what was so urgent with his dad and Thorne and Cress headed into the guest bedroom, which was small but warmly decorated.

“So,” Thorne drawled, laying back on the bed. “How settled do you want to get?” Cress laughed and smacked him, rolling her eyes and heaving her bag onto the bed.

“Less settled than you,” she teased. He sat up and pulled her to him, kissing her slowly, languorously. She broke the kiss, smiling at him, her cheeks tinged pink. “How do you think Cinder is doing?” she asked, quirking her eyebrow.

“Cress, I got to be honest with you, I wasn’t thinking about Cinder at all. And I don’t plan to start now,” he said, pulling her down on top of him and laughing.


	3. At New Beijing Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai welcomes Cinder back to New Beijing and the two discuss how their lives will change, together.

“Selene! Selene!”

“Your Lunar Majesty!”

“Queen Selene!”

“Ms. Blackburn!”

The crowd of reporters were shouting, a cacophony of sound only barely drowned out by the sound of the Rampion’s take off. Cinder blinked in the flashes of light from their cameras, suddenly regretting that she hadn’t thought to change out of her Rampion uniform and into something a little more… regal?

She wished the Rampion wasn’t quite so recognizable. She hadn’t wanted to turn her arrival into such a circus, but Thorne had timed their arrival wrong and she had shown up at the tail end of Kai’s weekly press conference. All the reporters leaving had swarmed the landing pad and were now hovering like vultures, trying to get her attention.

Konn Torin was hurrying toward her, a smile on his face. He bowed to her, a small gesture that Cinder really wished he wouldn’t do but she understood why he kept at it. He was so good at ignoring the reporters, ushering her past them. As they pushed through the crowd, Cinder spotted Kai waiting by the door. Grinning, he ran to meet her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground, not an easy feat with her metal leg. She laughed, forgetting about the reporters for just a second, and kissed him, almost vibrating with happiness. He set her down slowly, his hands on her waist, his lips slowly moving against hers.

Cinder pulled back, a little embarrassed of the show they’d just put on for the reporters. Kai smiled at her and pushed her hair back, taking her cyborg hand in his and leading her inside.

“Cress and Thorne didn’t feel like hanging around?” Kai asked, grinning at her. Cinder smiled back, forgetting about her rumpled clothes or her messy hair because she was here, with Kai, for the first time in months.

“Cress saw the reporters and decided they didn’t need to stay,” Cinder explained. She wasn’t quite sure where they were in the palace and downloaded the blueprints. Kai was taking her to the east of the palace, avoiding some of the busy thoroughfares. They were near the medical wing, but a couple floors up. The blueprint on her visuals had the corridor labeled “visiting dignitaries”. “Where are we going?”

“Your room.” The bags under his eyes were even more pronounced than they had seemed last week. But she filed that away, to ask about later. Kai stopped in front of a set of double doors, a mischievous smile on his face.

He flung the doors open wide and swept her into a sumptuous suite. The doors opened onto a small sitting area with two couches and an ornamental fireplace. There were two more doors leading off, one closed, presumably to the bedroom and the bathroom, the other opened and showed a desk, large picture window, and a set of plush armchairs. Cinder was floored. And then she saw it.

On the coffee table was a small gold statue of a foot. Her foot, specifically. An eleven year old cyborg’s foot. It was set on a small plaque and Cinder groaned, leaning her head back dramatically.

“Kai, come on. I got rid of that thing for a reason.” 

“Hear me out,” he pleaded, drawing her into the room. Torin gave him a subtle nod and pulled the door closed from the outside, leaving them alone in the suite. He picked up the statuette and held it out to her. She read the plaque out loud.

“‘I will always find you’,” she murmured, looking up at him. “Not really accurate, is it? You didn’t find me.”

“I found you that day in the market,” he said, taking it from her and placing it back on the table. “And I technically found you in France.” She grimaced, remembering the police she’d had to incapacitate in Rieux. “And I found you when it mattered. After Levana stabbed you.” Cinder shuddered, the scar on her chest twinging. Kai reached out toward her, pulling her closer to him, his hands on her face and his mouth just a breath away from hers. “My heart found you.”

And he was kissing her, his lips insistent on hers. His hands slid through her hair, pulling her ponytail out, his fingers twining through the strands. Her hands tightened on his shirt, holding him close to her. The kiss slowed as she sank against him and he leaned back, settling down onto the couch, laying back with Cinder on top of him. Her hands loosened, moving to his face and cradling it.

Then the door opened and a maid entered, carrying a stack of linens. She promptly dropped them and stared at them, her mouth gaping open. Cinder sat up, smiling wryly. Kai was blushing profusely and trying to straighten his shirt.

“Your Imperial Majesty,” she stuttered, bending down to pick up the linens. “I’m so sorry. I-” she cast a glance at Cinder, looking terrified, “I thought you wouldn’t be here until later.”

“It’s okay,” Cinder promised, standing and pulling Kai up with her. “We can go. Thank you.” Iko’s voice in her head scolded her, reminding her that you weren’t supposed to thank servants, but she brushed it away.

“No, no, I’ll go,” the girl said, blushing even worse than Kai.

“No, we have other places to be. Please, continue your work.” Cinder took Kai’s hand and led him outside into the hallway, where she leaned against the wall and began laughing.

“Stars, that was embarrassing,” Kai muttered, running his hand through his hair and mussing it even more.

“So what do we do now? I’m assuming you didn’t plan on us making out all afternoon?” Cinder teased. She was embarrassed, for sure, but it was easier for her to hide it and play it off. She tied her hair back up in a ponytail, thankful for something to do with her hands.

“You assume too much, my lady,” he said grandly, sweeping her a gallant bow and taking her hand, placing a kiss on the smooth metal. “But I do have some place else I’d like to show you.”

They ran through the empty halls, laughing at a joke only they could understand. When they came across others, they slowed and walked properly, stately, even, holding hands respectfully. But as soon as they turned a corner, they began running again. Cinder found herself recalling her explorations of Artemisia Palace, wistfully thinking that Kai had been by her side then.

And Kai found himself elated by Cinder’s presence. He hadn’t had this much fun in the palace since he was little, back in the days before his peers began treating him as an heir, when they had just known him as a playmate. His heart was light and his feet traveled the well worn passages of his home, the worries of recent days lifting off his shoulders. He turned back and saw Cinder, lighting up in laughter, and his heart swelled with love. The long strands of her hair were flying loose around her face and her eyes were dancing. She was beautiful.

They burst out onto the gardens and slowed as Kai led her through the paths until they finally settled next to a koi pond.

“So… what’s special about this spot?” Cinder asked, laying her head on Kai’s shoulder. His arm went around, his free hand still holding hers.

“Nothing. But I’d like it to become special,” he answered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. It was a beautiful spot. They were ensconced by cherry blossom trees which she was sure would be magical come spring. The pond was large, with a series of cascading pools which burbled musically. And with the sun setting, it was a perfect spot, secluded and private.

“Kai…” she said slowly, turning her hand over in his. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“You look like crap,” she said, cringing as soon as the words left her lips. There was probably a better, a kinder, way to phrase that. “I mean, you’re obviously exhausted. The bags under your eyes have bags.” 

Kai sighed, his shoulders drooping, all pretense leaving him. “It’s that obvious, huh?” 

“Talk to me,” she pleaded, turning. They sat facing each other, their hands intertwined in between them.

“Things have been rough lately,” he admitted, staring at their hands. “I’ve gotten some pushback on the cyborg reforms. Public opinion is hard to sway and I’ve been fighting a lot of “prominent members of the community”,” he said, sarcasm dripping from his words,”about your rights.”

“They can’t really do anything, though,” Cinder said encouragingly. “You are the emperor.”

“But I’m not a tyrant,” he countered, frowning. “I still need to listen to my people. And letumosis cases aren’t dropping as quickly here as they are in America and Europe. The people are scared. And they want answers.”

“Answers you don’t have.”

“Answers I don’t have.” He sighed, turning her metal hand over, rubbing it between his palms. “Stars, your hand is cold,” he muttered.

“Sorry,” she said, pulling it back. But he caught it and kept it between his, looking up at her through the chunks of hair that had fallen into his face. 

“And people are scared of you,” he said, dropping it in as casually as he could. But Cinder still flinched, her shoulders hunching. “It’s not your fault. It’s just…”

“That I’m a dangerous cyborg with a gun built into her hand and a powerful Lunar who overthrew a queen.”

“Cinder, you’re not that,” he protested.

“To strangers, I am. Your people are probably horrified that you love…” she trailed off, glad yet again that she couldn’t blush. They had never said it, that they loved each other. It was there, in the air between them, in the touches they exchanged, in the way they looked at each other, but they had never voiced it. Kai sat up straighter, catching her gaze.

“I love you,” he said, his voice steady. “I just need to convince my people that these changes, the cyborg rights, the Lunar travel visas, they aren’t because the woman I love is a cyborg and a Lunar, but because they deserve equal rights.” He was passionate; this was clearly something he’d been thinking about for a while, even arguing with others about. Cinder’s heart swelled, her breath catching in her throat, and she reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him in for a rough kiss.

“I love you, too,” she murmured, leaning back. “What can I do to help?”

“What?” He asked, looking floored.

“Well, I’m going to be here for a while,” Cinder said, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear. “How can I help? To make people less scared of me. To help with cyborg and Lunar rights.”

“You want… to help?” He was mystified. She laughed.

“What did you think I would do when I got here? Open up my old booth at the market? Wander around the palace, waiting for things to break?” He looked slightly miffed.

“No. I don’t know. It’s not like you’re big on the state dinners or public appearances,” he said defensively.

“C’mon, Kai, I knew what I was getting into when I fell in love with you,” Cinder said, brushing her hand down his arm. “I admit, I’m not jumping for joy at the possibility but I’m still willing to do it.” Kai’s hands cupped her face, his alight with happiness, and he kissed her softly.

“You know what that means, though?” he asked, his lips barely a breath away from hers.

“What?” she murmured.

“You have to let me teach you to dance.” Cinder pulled back and groaned dramatically.

“No!”

“Fancy dinners, balls, proper parties… It’s time for you to learn how to move that clunky leg of yours.” He teased. “And I’m not talking about the metal one.”

“You’re the worst,” she said fondly, caressing his face. 

They heard someone walking through the garden and sighed together. Kai knew that it wouldn’t take long for work to creep up on him but he had been loving the slice of peace with Cinder. She wasn’t surprised either; she knew she had to get used to sharing him. He was the emperor, after all. But they were both surprised to see Torin hurrying toward them.

“I’m sorry to bother you two,” he said, sounding genuinely apologetic. “But an urgent call came in from Luna.”

“Does the minister need me?” Cinder asked, standing and fixing her ponytail. Kai had a bad habit of running his hands through her hair and pulling it loose. Well, bad was a relative term.

“No, actually, it was Jacin Clay.” Cinder paused, confused. She and Jacin were good friends but not the type to call each other out of the blue. She saw him most often when Winter called to chat. And she couldn’t imagine what was so urgent.

“Did he tell you what it was about? Is Winter okay?” she asked, following him back down the paths toward the palace. Kai was hurrying along beside her and he took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

“I’m sure everything’s fine,” he murmured.

“He didn’t give specifics, just insisted that he speak to you right away.” Together, they all hastened into the palace, heading straight for Kai’s office, where Jacin was waiting.


End file.
